And hark, what noife the General makes!-to him ;-
There is the man of my foul's hate, Aufidius,
Piercing our Romans: then, valiant Titus, take
Convenient numbers to make good the City;
Whilft I, with thofe that have the fpirit, will hafte
To help Cominius.

Lart. Worthy Sir, thou bleed'ft;

Thy exercise hath been too violent
For a fecond courfe of fight.

Mar. Sir, praise me not :

My work hath yet not warm'd me. Fare you well:
The blood, I drop, is rather physical

Than dangerous to me.

T' Aufidius thus I will appear, and fight.

Lart. Now the fair Goddess Fortune

Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms
Mifguide thy oppofers' fwords! bold gentleman!
Profperity be thy page!

Mar. Thy friend no lefs,

Than those the placeth higheft! fo, farewel
Lart. Thou worthiest Marcius,

Go, found thy trumpet in the market-place,
Call thither all the officers o'th' town,

Where they shall know our mind. Away. [Exeunt

SCENE changes to the Roman Camp.
Enter Cominius retreating, with Soldiers.

Com. Breathe you, my friends; well fought; we are

Like Romans, neither foolish in our Stands,
Nor cowardly in retire: Believe me, Sirs,

We fhall be charg'd again. Whiles we have ftruck,
By interims and conveying gufts, we have heard
The Charges of our friends. The Roman Gods
Lead their fucceffes, as we wish our own;

That both our Powers, with fmiling fronts encountring,
May give you thankful facrifice! Thy news?

Enter

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The citizens of Corioli have issued,
And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle.
I faw our Party to the trenches driven,
And then I came away.

Com. Tho' thou fpeak'ft truth,

Methinks, thou fpeak'ft not well. How long is't fince? Mef. Above an hour, my

lord.

Com. 'Tis not a mile: briefly, we heard their drums. How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour,

And bring the news fo late?

Mef. Spies of the Volfcians

Held me in chafe, that I was forc'd to wheel
Three or four miles about; else had I, Sir,
Half an hour fince brought my report.

Enter Marcius.

Com. Who's yonder,

That does appear as he were flea'd? O Gods!
He has the ftamp of Marcius, and I have -
Before time feen him thus.

Mar. Come I too late?

Com. The fhepherd knows not thunder from a tabor, More than I know the found of Marcius' tongue

From every meaner man.

Mar. Come I too late?

Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, But mantled in your own.

Mar. Oh! let me clip ye (7)

In arms as found, as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry, as when our nuptial day was done,

(7) Ob! let me clip ye

In Arms as found, as when I woo'd in beart : Dr. Thirlby advised the different Regulation in the Pointing of this Paffage; which I have enbraced, as I think it much improves the Senfe and Spirit, and conveys too the Poet's Thought, that Marcius was as found in Limb, as when he went a Wooing; and as merry in Heart, as when going to Bed to his Bride.

And

And tapers burnt to bedward.
Com. Flower of Warriors,
How is't with Titus Lartius?

Mar. As with a man bufied about Decrees;
Condemning fome to death, and fome to exile,
Ranfoming him, or pitying, threatning the other;
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

Even like a fawning grey-hound in the leash,
To let him flip at will.

Com. Where is that flave,

Which told me, they had beat you to your trenches? Where is he? call him hither.

Mar. Let him alone.

He did inform the truth: but for our Gentlemen,
The common file, (a plague! 'Tribunes for them!)
The mouse ne'er fhun'd the cat, as they did budge
From rafcals worse than they.

Com. But how prevail'd you?

Mar. Will the time ferve to tell? I do not think
Where is the enemy? are you lords o' th' field?
If not, why cease you 'till you are so?

Com. Marcius, we have at disadvantage fought,
And did retire, to win our purpose.

Mar. How lies their battle ? know you on what fide They have plac'd their men of truft?

Com. As I guess, Marcius,

Their bands i' th' vaward are the Antiates

Of their best truft: o'er them Aufidius,
Their very heart of hope.

Mar. I do befeech you,

By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By th' blood we'ave fhed together, by the Vows
We'ave made to endure friends, that you directly

Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiates;

And that you not delay the prefent, but
Filling the air with fwords advanc'd, and darts,
We prove this very hour.

Com. Though I could wish,

You were conducted to a gentle bath,

And balms applied to you, yet dare I never

Deny

Deny your asking; take your choice of those,
That beft can aid your action.
Mar. Those are they,

That most are willing; If any fuch be here,
(As it were fin to doubt) that love this Painting,
Wherein you fee me fmear'd; if any fear
Lefs for his perfon than an ill report:

If any think, brave death out-weighs bad life,
And that his Country's dearer than himself,
Let him, alone, (or many, if fo minded)
Wave thus, t'exprefs his difpofition,

And follow Marcius.

They all fhout, and wave their words, take him up
in their arms, and caft up their caps.

Oh! me alone, make you a fword of me:
If these shews be not outward, which of you
But is four Volfcians? none of you, but is
Able to bear againft the great Aufidius

A fhield as hard as his. A certain number
(Tho' thanks to all) muft I fele&t from all :
The reft fhall bear the business in some other fight,
-As caufe will be obey'd; please you to march,

And four fhall quickly draw out my Command,
Which men are beft inclin'd.

Com. March on, my fellows:

Make good this oftentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to CORIOLI.

Titus Lartius having fet a guard upon Corioli, going with drum and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Marcius ; Enter with a lieutenant, other foldiers, and a Scout.

Lart.

S

O, let the Ports be guarded; keep your duties, As I have fet them down. If I do fend, dispatch Thofe Centries to our aid; the reft will ferve For a fhort holding; if we lose the field,

We cannot keep the town.

Lieu. Fear not our care, Sir.

Lart.

Lart, Hence, and fhut your gates upon's:
Our guider, come! to th' Roman camp conduct us.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Roman Camp.

Alarum, as in battle. Enter Marcius and Aufidius, at Several doors.

Mar. 'LL fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee Worfe than a promise-breaker.

Auf. We hate alike :

Not Africk owns a ferpent I abhor

More than thy Fame, and envy; fix thy foot.
Mar. Let the firft budger die the other's flave,
And the Gods doom him after !

Auf. If I fly, Marcius,

Halloo me like a Hare.

Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus,
Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd: 'tis not my blood,
Wherein thou fee'ft me mask'd; for thy revenge,
Wrench up thy power to th' highest.

Auf. Wert thou the Hector,

That was the whip of your bragg'd Progeny,
Thou should'ft not 'fcape me here.

[Here they fight, and certain Volfcians come to the
aid of Aufidius. Marcius fights, 'till they be driven
in breathless.

Officious, and not valiant! — you have sham'd me
In your condemned Seconds.

Flourish. Alarum. A retreat is founded. Enter at one door, Cominius with the Romans; at another door, Marcius, with his arm in a scarf.

Com. If I fhould tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou❜lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it, Where Senators fhall mingle tears with fmiles; Where great Patricians fhall attend and shrug; I' th' end, admire; where ladies shall be frighted,

And,